A High Fiber Diet & Diarrhea

Dietary fiber is an important part of a healthy diet because it adds bulk to stool to keep your bowels solid and regular. In some instances too much of one kind of fiber can induce loose, watery stool, or diarrhea, while too little fiber may lead to constipation. It is a gentle balance that is easy to achieve once you know what kinds of fiber work best for digestive regularity.

Diarrhea Information

The occasional bout of diarrhea lasting one or two days is commonplace for most people. Diarrhea that lasts for more than two days it could be a sign of a more serious problem and if it lasts consistently for weeks, it may indicate a serious disease. Bacteria, viruses and parasites can enter your body via contaminated foods and water, resulting in acute diarrhea. Functional digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome or reactions to medications including antibiotics or cancer drugs may also cause diarrhea. It is generally treatable no matter the cause, with changes in the amount of fiber you consume aiding the process of alleviation.

High-Fiber Diet

A high-fiber diet means you consume 25 to 35 g a day generally from fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts or grains. Fiber in your diet keeps your large intestine, or colon, healthy and for irritable bowel sufferers it can reduce symptom severity. However, all fiber is not the same. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material to ease diarrhea better than insoluble fiber, which retains water to soften stool. The risk of a high-fiber diet comes with consuming too much raw produce and whole grains, high insoluble fiber sources that retain excess water, preventing the formation of solid waste.

Fiber For Diarrhea

If you experience acute diarrhea, choose soluble fiber foods like applesauce or bananas, cooked vegetables like mushrooms, skinless boiled potatoes or green beans. Avoid wheat and whole grains while you have diarrhea and choose white flour products like pasta, white rice or bread instead. Animal-based foods like dairy, poultry and eggs may also help solidify your stool. If you have an inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer a temporary low-fiber diet may work best to control diarrhea and prevent bowel obstruction problems.

Additional Fiber Tips

Once your diarrhea is under control, reincorporate the whole grains and fresh produce, raw or cooked, back into your diet. Eat a variety of fibrous foods to prevent future bouts of diarrhea, keeping in mind that too much soluble fiber might increase your risk of constipation. Fresh fruits and vegetables like leafy greens, berries and broccoli help soften stool and grains add bulk so you can eliminate regularly.